


Making a move

by Robindottir



Category: Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries
Genre: Doubt, F/M, Feelings, Relationship(s), Resolution
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-07
Updated: 2015-09-01
Packaged: 2018-04-13 11:02:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 3,755
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4519470
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Robindottir/pseuds/Robindottir
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jack's usually sober mind is troubled regarding his relationship with Phryne. He needs to make a decision and ponders what to do.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> As I'm not a native english speaker, please excuse my clumsy writing. Any corrections and remarks are welcome. Set in Season 3, spoilers.

He really couldn't get his ideas straight and that was a situation Jack hated to be in. In his professional life as a police officer but also in private matters, he used to be a man whose mental balance was not easily disturbed. After experiencing war and all those years in police work, seeing the worst of what mankind is capable, it would take a lot to disquiet him. Or so he thought. 

But Phryne Fisher managed to do just that and in more than one way. He knew her for a couple of years now and together they had gone through a lot of adventures. After being slightly annoyed by her self-confident irruptions in his inquiries, he had started to appreciate her personality. She was special and far ahead of her time; he had rarely seen a woman so free, independent and above all emancipated. He liked that, regarding himself women not as a species liable to depend upon men, but capable of the same achievements as men. He didn't feel intimidated by women with a strong mind and that was not what worried him.  
But what did worry him was her apparent nonchalance regarding relationships. Although utterly capable of caring for those who where close to her and wearing her heart on her sleeve on more than one occasion, she seemed to consider men as pleasurable toys for certain moments. He wouldn't mind that in any other woman if he didn't have those strong, aching feelings for her.

Since the car crash affair of Gertie Haynes, he had acknowledged that he was in love with her and he even had come very close to telling her as much, not saying the word "love" but confessing his profound feelings. It had taken him a lot of courage to tell her that her presumed death had caused him too much pain, but his honesty hadn't been rewarded by a mutual declaration. 

That's why he felt so uncertain of what to do now. He knew that she cared for him, that she was loyal and also attracted to him physically. More than once had she suggested extending their inquiries in a more physical way that would involve visiting her bedroom. But although he undeniably longed to do exactly that, he didn't like the idea of having a playful night or two, and return then to business as usual. His heart desired more and he didn't conceive sex without knowing that a relationship would grow there from. 

The last weeks had seen a shift in their relationship, the physical intimacy growing with every day, he couldn't deny that. Phryne would touch him frequently and unexpectedly, putting her finger on his mouth to prevent him from saying something, adjusting his tie, grapping him by the arm, displaying her bodily charms and leaving him wanting more. It took a lot of self-control to prevent him giving in to her advances. He wouldn't be able to restrain himself all the time though. His bodily needs had been neglected for too long after all and he was not made out of steel. Something must change, otherwise...  
His painful and fruitless thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a positive idea. He remembered his old bike, taking the dust in his garage and resolved to take a long ride. This would help him clear his mind, as it always did. Before joining the police, he used to ride his bike everyday and he was really a great athlete in those days, as would testify his muscular and taut calves. Half an hour later, Jack was pedalling, not thinking anymore but being one with the road.


	2. Romantic overture

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack finally realizes that he doesn't have any alternative about his feelings for Phryne.

Jack was riding his bike now for more than three hours and he started to feel really good. He realized that this intense physical activity was something he had really missed. Since he was working as an inspector at City South, he had neglected this kind of exercise, being nevertheless in an excellent shape.

His head was empty of all worries and torturous thoughts of what to do about his feelings for Phryne. He felt like being one with his bike, hitting the road in a steady, appeasing rhythm, not even registering the beautiful landscapes around him, just being concentrated in his constant effort.

Although he was convinced that he could have continued for some time, he thought it wiser to make his way back home.

He felt light and was nearly euphoric, his brain having been thoroughly washed! And he knew that the only decision he could make was the one that implied also the worst risks. He would approach Phryne and tell her his feelings or show them in a suitable way, no matter what the consequences were. After all, that's what love was about, displaying one's heart and hoping that the other would take good care of it.

He had no idea how Phryne would react to his advances, and if she did react with mutual love where this could lead. He knew that she prided herself with a noncommittal approach of men, but he was prepared to live a relationship without official engagement as long as it was a real and deep relationship. 

His hope was up again and he even allowed himself to think how good it would feel to hold her in his arms, to kiss her all over and to make love to her. He was absolutely determined, his next move with Phryne would be quick and it had to be a romantic overture.


	3. An extraordinary man

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Jack reflects on his feelings for Phryne, she does the same on her side.

Phryne was spending an awful lot of time thinking about Jack. This was not in her habit, men usually had a minor importance in her life. She liked some of them for having fun and had a few really good old friends. But very often she happened to have a poor opinion of the male species. 

She was far too free-minded and emancipated to be able to tolerate the way in which women were treated, not having the same rights as men and being regarded as second class human beings. She couldn't see any reason why this should be the case, in her opinion women should be absolutely equal to men. Hopefully this would change in the future, but for the present, she knew that she was really an exception in the way she lived and she stood her ground not letting herself being intimidated by men who wanted to restrain her freedom of action. Being independent financially helped a lot of course to live a life devoid of any male "interference".

And then, their was an old wound, left by one particular man, who had be really toxic in her life. After him, she felt it difficult to imagine any commitment and she kept safe distances to her male relationships, being always perfectly clear about her noncommittal intentions.

Nonetheless, with Jack everything was different. Once she got to know him better, she found that he restored her confidence in men. He had everything a man should have in Phryne's eyes. Although he had been visibly annoyed by her nosing around at his crime scenes in the beginning, he wouldn't mind her presence after realizing that she could indeed contribute in a very efficient way to his inquiries. 

Jack respected her, never displayed any male chauvinism, supported her whenever she needed it, would make her laugh and clearly was a lot more open-minded than you would expect from a police officer.  
And he was honest about his feelings, having told and shown her on more than one occasion that he cared a lot for her. In fact, he was a very sensitive man and combined a strong moral sense with great tolerance for others.

Phryne smiled at the idea that the only thing that he appeared to mind was her driving, although this was not at all relevant in any way. Otherwise she had experienced in more than one occasion that she could really have fun with him. He would enjoy life once he was in a non-professional context and brought to relax. Phryne had noticed that this seemed to happen more often now than when she first met him. She remembered his earnest and a little sad expression from those days. She had immediately sensed that this man had seen some of the more dark sides of life and was altered by it. She learned later that the war had left its mark on Jack. She felt always a strong solidarity with people whose lives had been torn apart by fate. That was why she had been trying to cheer him up right from the beginning and lift the invisible burden he seemed to carry. 

But nowadays he seemed happier, displaying more often his charming smile that would leave Phryne with a warm sensation. If she was being honest with herself, Phryne had to admit that the more she came to know Jack the more she came to feel irresistibly attracted by him. That deep, sexy voice, articulated by sensual lips, those lean hands, those muscular arms and hand... Before pushing her review further, Phryne stopped herself in pure frustration. Jack would keep her at a certain distance and her playful flirting hadn't brought the desired result: sharing more intimate moments and drawing him into her bed. Although she still wanted exactly that and quite painfully so, Phryne realized that she felt now something stronger for Jack. After all this time, a man had finally succeeded in charming her, without even trying to. Just being himself, a beautiful man, a wonderful person. She felt that she wanted more from this man than sexual satisfaction. She wanted a relationship, a kind of informal commitment. 

But how could she make this clear to Jack. She knew that she had hurt his feelings in the past and she had to be very careful not to push him away. If only he would make a move...


	4. Jack's plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack comes up with a plan for his romantic overture.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set in 1929. Correct me if historical details are wrong.

Jack wanted his romantic overture for Phryne to be something out of the ordinary. And above all, he wanted this to be outside her house or a murder investigation scene, to be sure there would be no interference whatsoever from Aunt Prudence, Collins or anybody.

Usually it was Miss Fisher who had the initiative of when and how they spent time together on a more private basis, although strictly speaking the background was always a murder investigation. He had become a frequent guest at Wardlow, sometimes for dinner or on festive occasions, for their numerous nightcaps and had even accompanied Phryne to some cultural events. 

He had never invited her to his house, not because he was ashamed of his cottage, modest compared to her residence, but because he could never figure out a pretext for doing so. He had already decided that this would not do and that he would make up her dinner invitations with a delicious dinner at his own place. The aim was simply to show her his world and let her decide if that was something she could deal with. 

His home was quite cosy, though a tad Spartan and mostly decorated with books, pilled up everywhere. The rooms could easily be confounded with those of an intellectual. Rosie had hated this and had never shown any comprehension for his passion. A compatibility test, in a certain manner of speaking.

But before confronting Phryne with his secret garden, he wanted to gratify her with a somewhat more impressing activity.

When Jack read per chance a news article about the forthcoming opening of the Melbourne Regent Theatre on Collins Street, he knew he had found the perfect event. The theatre opened with "Two Lovers", a movie with Ronald Colman and Vilma Banky, based on a novel of Baroness Emmuska Orczy, According to the journal, the Regent Theatre was the largest theatre in Australia, able to seat 3.277 people in opulent splendour, with the biggest WurliTzer theatre organ presently available. 

He knew that Phryne loved movies; she had herself sponsored recently a movie, whose shooting had unfortunately been a crime scene. He didn't care himself for movies, finding them quite tedious, but the point was to show Phryne that he could place her desires before his, as a gentleman and for the simple pleasure to make her happy. Even a modern woman could do with some courting.

A few phone calls later, using some influent relations of his; he had the onerous tickets for the premiere. This had to be a surprise and he sent word to Phryne inviting her for a special treat. The answer came without delay, Phryne accepting gracefully the invitation, although being intrigued by the surrounding mystery and unusual undertaking.

Jack felt immensely relieved and excited at the same time. There were three more days to go and he had to make arrangements for a romantic dinner after the show. Fernando, the owner of his favourite Italian restaurant, accepted to prepare a dinner, which, he promised, wouldn't let a decent woman indifferent.


	5. Always a step ahead

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Phryne makes it easy for Jack.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The final chapter will be a more intimate one, but as a native french speaker, I find it very difficult to find the correct words for sexy times in English. I'll try my best. Any suggestions and help are welcome.

So far, the evening had run really smoothly and could even be qualified as a success. As planned, they had attended the opening of the Regent Theatre, a rather sumptuous venue. They had met some of Phryne's acquaintances from Melbourne's "high society" and Jack had felt rather at ease, to his own astonishment.

Phryne had definitely enjoyed the film "Two Lovers", a tale about revenge and passion and had felt empathy with the main character. She avidly discussed the plot with Jack after leaving the theatre and Jack was glad that their conversation was light. 

Phryne knew that Jack had dinner plans after the film but she had no idea that he would take her to his house instead of a restaurant. When she had received the invitation from Jack she had been more than pleased, but also a little bit anxious. She had longed for him to come out of his reserve and was keen to deepen their friendship. 

She wanted him badly, with every cell of her body and soul. But where would this lead? Jack was certainly open-minded and quite liberal but she knew that he was no man for just one playful night. 

Unlike her habits, Phryne had spent hours and hours thinking about Jack and finally, she had admitted to herself that this man was something very special, rarely found and that she could make concessions to her cherished independence to have a future with him. Although she was determined to tell him as much this evening, she didn't know yet how far she would be able to move away from her principles. 

When they reached the car, Phryne couldn't restrain her curiosity any more and enquired about their dinner destination. When Jack informed her that it would be at his place, she couldn't hide her surprise and delight. Her heart was suddenly racing; the evening promised to be far more exciting than she had dreamt of. She had never been to Jack's home and this must really mean something for him if he took her to his sanctuary.

After their arrival in Jack's modest but comfortable lodgings, he showed her briefly around before taking himself to the kitchen to heat the dishes prepared by Ernesto, his Italian friend and well-known Chef.

Phryne liked what she saw, although far from extravagant, the atmosphere of Jack's rooms reflected his personality and good taste. While Jack was busy in his kitchen, Phryne lingered in the library, made cosy by a lit fireplace and slightly worn leather fauteuils.

She had a good look at his books. Some didn't come as a surprise, but to Phryne's amazement some were really avant-garde and forward thinking. Was there a revolutionary hidden behind the serious mask of the police officer? This wonderful man was definitely surprising her over and over again.

While Phryne had been determined to let Jack make his move (if he intended to do so as she was hoping), and to make this as easy for him as possible, she felt suddenly that she finally preferred to come up with her own decision right away.

Following the delicious smell, Phryne found the kitchen and a busy Jack, no longer wearing his jacket, waistcoat and tie but just his shirt, unbuttoned and sleeves rolled up. He looked so gorgeous that Phryne became speechless for a long moment, mentally undressing him furthermore. She decided to wait after all with her declaration and enjoy dinner first. Indeed, why not indulge in all sensual pleasures one after the other. The food really was delicious and Phryne complimented Jack about his excellent choice. 

Conversation was revolving around Italian cooking and culture while they ate and both of them seemed keen to avoid deliberately more delicate and personal topics.

After dinner, Phryne asked if they could take their drinks in the library and Jack had no objection to that. Even before he had a chance to hand her a glass of Fernando's Grappa, a fragrant, grape-based pomace brandy, Phryne spoke up, in an unusually serious tone:

"Jack, I have done some thinking those last days which I want to share with you. This is such a fine evening and I must say..." Phryne was breathless although she had just uttered one sentence and stopped briefly to gather her spirits.

Jack's heart had stopped beating and he dreaded the end of that sentence. Would she turn him down in a polite but definite manner, even before he had had a chance to make a romantic overture and reveal his own feelings?

"I must say that I would like to spend more evenings like that in your company." Phryne resumed. Jack was holding his breath but managed to articulate a croaky "But?".

"There is no "but" Jack. I am simply telling you that I want to spend more time with you. You must know that I care deeply for you, and that is really an understatement. I always told you that I am not the committing type. You may have guessed some of the reasons that have led me to such a position. But I could drop some of my principles for you, because I want to be with you and because I know that you accept me as I am. I feel safe with you and I am ready to make concessions for you. I just don't know yet exactly how far this could lead us but I want to discover this, more than anything!"

With every sentence Jack relaxed more and more, and his expression turned from a tense seriousness to an open and warm look, his relief visible. 

"Phryne, you are definitely the most independent woman I know. I was about to make a romantic overture and to tell you that I am willing to make some concessions on my own for your sake when you preceded me. Always a step ahead, aren't you?"

Not willing to leave it at that, Jake moved quickly to place himself right in front of Phryne and pulled her in for a deep, long kiss.


	6. Together

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A thousand thanks to deedeeinfj for correcting this last chapter. :-)

Jack paused briefly, kissing Phryne to ascertain her reaction. What he saw in her eyes was sheer desire, reflecting his own aching need to make love to her.  
He sought her mouth again to deepen his kisses and ceased all thought, just taking pleasure from the physical contact that he had denied himself for so long, although he had imagined and desired it for a very long time. 

The contact with Phryne's lips and tongue electrified his body and caused his desire to reach dangerous heights.

His right hand slipped behind Phryne's neck and then wandered gently down her back. It came back up again to slide the straps of the dress down her shoulders.

Meanwhile, Phryne began to unbutton Jack's shirt with a furious impatience. She urged Jack to spread his arms so she could tear off his shirt. Underneath, she discovered his hot and bare skin, which she touched avidly with both hands. Working even faster than Phryne, Jack had managed to unhook her dress that now glided along her body to leave her virtually naked before him, barely covered by her lingerie.

Jack delighted in the sight of her and abandoned her mouth to plant burning kisses on her neck and on her shoulders while stroking her breasts. Phryne had thrown back her head, but her hands were still fussing over Jack's body, attacking his pants now. Her hand stroked his hips and then ventured to gently stroke his cock through the garments. 

Feeling Jack's utterly hard erection caused Phryne to feel a burning heat in her belly, and she moaned with desire. She slid down his pants and underpants in one gesture and left him just enough space to be able to step out of his clothes, now completely useless and in her way.

Apart from whispering their names, neither of them had said a word since Jack's first kiss.

Jack had imagined this first time to be a slow and tender progression, but his own burning desire, intensified by Phryne's, made him lose all control and restraint. 

Both were naked now and exchanging wanting caresses and hot kisses, pressed against each other. Phryne loved the feeling of Jack's hard length against her core, and her body language demanded even closer contact.

Jack didn't bother to ask Phryne if she wanted to go to the bedroom. Instead, he gently pulled her down on the rug in front of the fireplace. Phryne didn't seem to mind at all and seemed perfectly at ease.

She wouldn't take her hands off his cock, loving the tenderness of the skin that enveloped its stiffness and exploring every inch of it with her fingers. When Jack returned the favour by stroking her folds delicately but expertly, she couldn't take it anymore.

"Jack, I need to feel you inside me. I can't wait anymore. Please."

"How could I refuse any of your invitations, Miss Fisher, especially when you are so insistent?" purred Jack's deep voice in her ear. "I'll have to oblige."

Jack spread her legs and guided his craving length into the woman he loved.   
Phryne cried out his name and clenched her legs around his hips to bring him even closer to her and encourage him to thrust deeper. 

"Jack, this feels like coming home."

Jack sealed his approval in a passionate kiss, and both of them completely abandoned themselves to each other.  
Having waited for this moment for ages, they were both incredibly grateful that it finally had happened, and nothing else in the world mattered anymore.


End file.
